30,000-bulb light display makes spirits bright for nonprofit

BURLINGTON TOWNSHIP — With 30,000 bulbs, it’s only natural that the Murdza household’s massive holiday light display has been compared to the one in “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.”

But display mastermind Ron Murdza is no Clark Griswold, the movie’s beleaguered protagonist played by Chevy Chase. Murdza’s computer-operated light show not only operates consistently, but also serves as a collection point for money and food donations for families in need.

For four holiday seasons, onlookers have flocked to the Steeplechase neighborhood in the evenings to gaze at the colorful lights that frame Murdza’s porch, windows, shrubs and fence.

Despite an electric bill that climbs an average of $200 each December, Murdza this year has added a second “tree” made of lights wired into the shape of a 10-foot evergreen to his front yard and some new luminaries on the porch that pulse like an equalizer. All the lights blink in tune with holiday songs that viewers can listen to by tuning into 96.1 FM, a system he’s rigged up using Light-O-Rama software.

The 2012 edition of his light show debuted over the Thanksgiving weekend, capping a two-week preparation period during which passersby frequently inquired about the progress as Murdza mounted the display with the help and support of his wife, Marie, and children, Alexis, 12, and Joe, 7.

“(Visitors) brought chairs and were sitting in the curb across the seat,” said Murdza, a firefighter in Hamilton, Mercer County. Murdza has an information technology background that lends itself well to the lights project. “It makes the neighborhood really festive.”

All the attention drawn by the spectacle — in addition to increased traffic in the neighborhood, Murdza’s lights have received television, print and digital news coverage — has helped raise awareness and donations for the Burlington Township Food Pantry, which serves 45 to 60 families weekly. Last year’s display brought in about 2,000 food items and $1,650 to help out the pantry, which was created in 2008 and operates on Wednesday mornings out of a storage space at the Burlington Center Mall.

The holiday season is one of “much greater need” for the hungry than other times of the year, according to pantry director Domenic Zulla, who is gearing up for the organization’s annual 5K race fundraiser Saturday.

Luckily, generosity has been

abundant, with money and food coming in from as far as South Dakota. Other recent acts of kindness have included food collection organized by Burlington Township High School senior Andrew Freitas; a gift of $150 and food by Fountain Woods Elementary School student Alison Kahrs, who asked for donations instead of birthday presents; a $1,175 check from the Relief Fire Co. No. 3 in the township, which was presented during the pantry’s board meeting last week; and help in the form of money and manpower from the Seneca Insurance Agency in Mount Laurel. The company donated $2,000 and 12 employees to help separate canned goods on two recent Wednesdays.

“They give donations, they give from their hearts, they just give,” said Zulla, who regularly receives boxes of food from anonymous benefactors on the front porch of his home.

The huge box on Murdza’s own doorstep fills up quickly. He said he’s made as many as three trips per week to the food pantry to drop off donations during the last few holiday seasons. In an effort to spread the word, he launched a website, www.burlingtonlights.com, in 2010 and created a Facebook page last year that has attracted more than 1,000 followers.

His neighbor across the street got into the act last year. LaVerne Kirn convinced her husband to dress up as Santa Claus, and she served hot chocolate on her sidewalk a few days before Christmas. Kirn said the kid-friendly festivities will get under way again from 6:30 to 8:30 pm on Dec. 21 in front of her home, the perfect viewing spot for Murdza’s display.

“We had such a great time last year,” Kirn said, adding that cookies and crafts may be a part of the fun this year.

The show runs from 4:30 to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 4:30 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday throughout the first few days in January. The Murdza home is at the corner of Steeplechase Boulevard and Tack Way, off Columbus Road.

For information, visit www.burlingtonlights.com and www.btfoodpantry.org.

Jeannie O’Sullivan: 609-871-8068;

email: josullivan@phillyBurbs.com; Twitter: @jeannieosulliva

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